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Psychophysiological correlates of induced headaches
L R Gannon1, S N Haynes, J Cuevas
1Department of Psychology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 62901.
Journal of Behavioral Medicine
|August 1, 1987
Summary
Cognitive stressors can trigger headaches in susceptible individuals, particularly those with frequent muscle-contraction or migraine headaches. Psychophysiological monitoring revealed significant changes linked to headache occurrence and intensity.
Area of Science:
- Psychophysiology
- Neuroscience
- Behavioral Medicine
Background:
- Headaches, including muscle-contraction and migraine types, are common conditions with complex pathophysiology.
- The role of environmental stressors and psychophysiological responses in headache development requires further controlled investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the psychophysiological correlates of experimentally induced headaches.
- To determine if a cognitive stressor could elicit headaches in individuals with a history of frequent headaches.
- To explore the relationship between psychophysiological measures and headache occurrence/intensity.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of subjects with frequent muscle-contraction headaches, frequent migraine headaches, and infrequent headaches (controls).
- Exposure to a 1-hour cognitive stressor task.
- Monitoring of multiple psychophysiological measures, including electromyography and cardiovascular parameters.
Main Results:
- The cognitive stressor induced significant changes in all monitored psychophysiological measures.
- Headaches were induced in 11 of 16 headache subjects and 2 of 8 control subjects.
- Significant associations were identified between specific psychophysiological variables and headache occurrence and intensity.
Conclusions:
- This study provides the first controlled evidence that environmental stressors can precipitate headaches.
- Findings support the hypothesized role of cardiovascular factors in the pathophysiology of muscle-contraction headaches.
- Individual differences in psychophysiological responses may influence headache susceptibility and intensity.